The Dead still sings
by Thundere
Summary: Mugiwara/strawhat pirates first meeting with the "singing skeleton" Brooke. From Brooke's POV. "Hurt/comfort", hmm, more like some sad moments with lots of jokes/friendly banters. Brooke's the main character in this fic, cuz he's the most important! Perhaps it's redundant telling you that, since this story's supposed to be about him. Oh, well... ;D
1. Intro chapter - Prologue

**The Dead still sings**

_Written by: Thundere_

**Disclaimer:** This is fanfiction, I own no content _nor_ do I make any profit of it.

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_47 years ago_

Dark waves engulfed the once proud pirate ship in an unforgivable embrace of the sea's turmoil.

Below the broken mast, under the vast pile of rubble, covered in specks of blood was the unmoving figures of the crew that in life had lived in said ship.

The lonesome sounds of soles hitting the deck, accompanied with the fading echo of piano notes was carried away in the roaring winds.

Shimmering water drops softly hit the deck as a lone figure sang between his crying; _"B-binkusu... no sake wo t-todoke.."_

His voice broke, and he drew a gasp of breath, bursting in tears, 'oh, god, this isn't happening!'

_"..todoke ni yuku yo, yohohoho.. yoho-"_

_.  
_The fog shrouding the ship slowly lifted, but the owner of the lonesome and painfully beautiful voice paid it no attention.

For you see, although his life wasn't to be ended that day; he did indeed die and wasn't to be seen for decades to come.

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_Present day_

The fog was... well, as foggy as it ever had been. However, one thing certainly wasn't.

A ship had arrived. Judging from the "jolly" Jolly Roger, it was a pirate ship even. Oh, joy! Finally someone to take me away from this lonely place.

Or... that's what I'd like to believe. But just like every other ships I've seen during the past 50 years or so, this ship wasn't there. I mean, it _was_, but it still _wasn't_.

Does that saying even make sense? I don't kno~w! It's all the same, so it doesn't really matter. _Yohohohoo!_

Hah, I think I have to much time at hands,.. - but then again, I'm dead so I don't have hands! Yohohoho! Skull joke!

In any case, that ship was indeed very real for being an illusion. Hey, even those high-pitched voices sounds awfully real.

_Yohohoho... yohoho... ho~! Yohohoho... yohohoho..._

Are those imaginary people staring at me? _Binkusu no sake wo~ _Indeed, they are! Maybe they are fans of "Bink's Sake", too? ..._todoke ni yuku yo~_

_Ah!_ Blueberry flavor! My favorite tea! _Yohohoho~! Yohoho... ho~!_

In the background, I could hear the illusions started screaming. I mean, really! For being a figment of my imagination, they're awfully loud! My poor ears~!

- But then again, I'm a skeleton so I don't have ears! _Yohohohooo!_

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_Onboard of Going Merry_

"D-did you guys just see that," Usopp asked no one in particular, while shaking involuntarily.

"Nu-huh! I see no ghost, I see no nothing!" Chopper shrieked and buried his eyes in his hat, his face a shade paler than usual.

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AN;

This story if far from complete. It's merely a "test-run", so to speak.

The script may change, whether there will be more chapters really depends on whether people will want to read it or not.

So, leave a review and tell me your thoughts. Even if it is to say that the intro stinks. No hard feelings, it's not the best of works after all.

Take care and have a nice day everybody!

Sincerely/ Thundere


	2. Chapter I - Girls don't like funny guys

**Chapter I - Girls _don't_ like funny guys**

_Written by: Thundere_

**_Dedicated to jam klaoo & LuffyForKing_**

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_Previously on __**The Dead still sings**__:_  
_"D-did you guys just see that," Usopp asked no one in particular, while shaking involuntarily._  
_"Nu-huh! I see no ghost, I see no nothing!" Chopper shrieked and buried his eyes in his hat, his face a shade paler than usual._

_._

A faint scent of something foul was encircling the deck, as Luffy - accompanied by Zoro and Nami climbed the creaking ladder.  
Suddenly a shadow appeared, to block whatever light had been in their way, and the threesome found themselves face to face

with a bone like face - mere inches away from their faces. Nami shrieked, and the skeletal-man screamed in response.

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_(Brooke's POV)_  
I don't know why the fair orange-haired lady screamed in my face, all I know is that I was startled.  
I took a few steps backwards, tripped and fell on my behind with a low thud.

I scrambled away from the three strangers that had invaded my ship, stopped when I was at the other side of the boat - sorry, _ship_ - and shrieked.  
Ok, that may seem somewhat pathetic, but what else could I do? They were many, and I was... well, just me.  
To top it all, I was on my own as well as unarmed.  
Thousands of thoughts seeped through my mind during those long seconds it took for the presumable killers to come in my vicinity.

Seriously, they looked like _hooligans_!  
My throat went dry, and I felt like I was in the presence of Death. Again.

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"Hello, I'm Luffy," the black-haired pixie exclaimed with gusto. And no, the kid isn't a mythological creature, just awfully short.

"And this is Zoro," pixie-boy pointed at the other man leaning on a katana. "And this is-"

"A goddess!" I shrieked, and happily went to stare at the damsel. "No, just Nami," pixie-boy said in a confused demeanor.

"Such a graceful example of general beauty bestowed upon us unlucky mortals, I thankest thee Goeth," I rambled while planting a respectful kiss on Nami's hand.

I admit it, when I see beautiful ladies, my brain shuts down and I sprout nonsensical things. It's rather embarrassing, but that's just the way I am.

Due to my wondrous observation skills, I could tell that Nami the Sweet, was feeling uncomfortable.

And I, ever so gentlemanly, decided to seize (and light up) the moment, stared at Nami's beautiful eyes,

let my bony fingers run through orange strands of hair while perfectly innocently said, "May I see your panties?"

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Sens-moral of today: Girls _don't_ like funny guys.

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_Location: On-board__ of Going Merry_

Usopp paced. Chopper sighed. Why did the guys take so long to come back?

Usopp abruptly stopped pacing, leaving a hole on the floor from his pacing. Figuratively speaking.

Speaking of "figuratively", you could almost see a light-bulb appear over Usopp's head. "I got it!"

Sanji furrowed his visible eyebrow. "Whatever you got, keep it to yourself this time, long-nose".

Chopper nodded, "Yes, 'cause your last cold certainly was no fun."

"I'm not sick," Usopp protested with fake tears streaming down his cheeks. "I was talking about the ghost we saw earlier!"

Sanji and Chopper exchanged glances. "Oh," both said at the same time.

Usopp sighed dejectedly, but elaborated; "I think the reason why Luffy and the others haven't come back yet, is because they've been eaten."

Sanji snorted, disbelief written all over his face. "So, what do you think ate them, genius?" Usopp stared at Sanji incredulously. "The ghost, obviously!"

"Our shipmates eaten... by a cannibal ghost? Oh, _noooo_~!" Chopper shrieked, his entire being trembling of pure fright.

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"Cannibal ghost! Where?!" I screamed. Seriously, I can't stand ghosts normally, but a cannibal one? They're even worse!

The long-nosed guy sighed, and turned to face me. "The one who looks like a ske-," Usopp stopped speaking once he looked at me.

For some reason his face paled, nearly turning to white, while he sputtered nonsense. _Clang!_

A pan swung by the blondie-man dressed in a black suit, hit the left side of my head. I said nothing, just stared down at my feet, while slowly hiccuping.

Before I knew it, I burst out in tears.

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_AN:_  
_To explain the "intro" chapter/Prologue;_  
_for you guys who've seen the ep where Brooke meet the Strawhats for the first time,_  
_you know that he was singing "Bink's sake" while drinking a cup of tea._  
_The phrase "Ah! Blueberry flavor! My favorite tea!" was supposed to illustrate him drinking his cup of tea._

_And no, I do not know which flavor he was actually having, so I chose the only tea flavor I enjoy having. :)_  
_Also, the "irrational" way of writing that chapter, was also to illustrate what state of mind Brooke had._  
_I mean, he'd been on his own for decades, with no one to talk to, and it has also been stated in the manga series_

_that Brooke actually believed the Strawhats to be an illusion at first._  
_So, that his mind was a bit hyped and "crazy" at that point of time is quite understandable._

_This chapter is still short, approximately 710 words, but still longer than last one._

_Hope you liked it._

_Sincerely/ Thundere_


	3. Chapter II - Being real

**Chapter II - Being real**

_Written by: Thundere_

**Disclaimer**: This is fanfiction, I own no content _nor_ do I make any profit of it.

**_Dedicated to jam klaoo_**

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_Previously on __**The Dead still sings**__:_  
_A pan swung by the blondie-man dressed in a black suit, hit the left side of my head. I said nothing, just stared down at my feet, while slowly hiccuping._  
_Before I knew it, I burst out in tears._

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I could feel multiple eyes staring at me, but I kept my gaze stubbornly set at my feet.

_Huh_, noticed just now that my shoes could need a new polish.

... Why was I crouching down at the floor, again? Oh, that's right, the blondie-man hit me over the head with a fry-pan, and it hurt real bad.

And, apparently I was crying. Not that it hurt _that_ bad, mind you, it was more due to the fact that I could _still_ feel the pain I cried.

Since the pain was real, it was a clear indicator that these people were real as well. I didn't imagine it all, _this time_.

I was relieved, and it all hurt so much. So much that I was crying for it, and the relief made me happy.

Perhaps that's the reason I burst out in a crazed laughter as well. In any case, these people seemed confused by this.

Not that I could really blame them. I mean, if someone was crying and suddenly starts laughing like a crazy person, anyone would get nervous by such a notion, wouldn't they?

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"H-hey, man," the long-nosed guy said hesitantly. "You all right?"

I hiccuped, feeling how the usual "white-as-sheets" color of my bony cheeks developed a faint rosy shade. Yeah, from here on I'll be remembered as "the blushing skeleton"!

Then again, I guess that is slightly better than "cannibal ghost, as the long-nosed guy first called me. Don't ask me why, I certainly don't look like a cannibal.

Not that I really know what one of them look like. It's kind of my motto: do not befriend one of them, unless you're feeling suicidal, 'cause in that case it doesn't matter.

"Huh? You say something," I asked the reindeer. Too absorbed in my own musings, I hadn't heard him talking.

"W-well," he stuttered. "I was just asking how you were feeling." "Oh," I said. Well, what was I supposed to say to something like that?

All of those people - _real_ people, even! - was worried about me. _Yohohoho!_ Certainly, being alive feels good! Yeah, I'm dead, I think that fact have already been established.

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_._

AN: This is one of the shortest chapters I ever have written, but I felt that I couldn't go on with this one.

There was nothing left to say, so I'll save it for the next chapter. See you in chapter 3?

/ Thundere


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